Cushioning sheet for improving body balance and blood flow

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a cushioning sheet for improving body balance and blood flow. The cushioning sheet includes a base which has a plurality of first through holes formed therein, a plurality of cushioning members which support the base, have a first cushioning space for relieving pressure applied from the outside formed thereby, and further have a second through hole formed between the first cushioning space and the outside, and a sensing unit which senses at least one of temperature and pressure applied to a plurality of the cushioning members.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cushioning sheet, especially wherein body balance and the flow of blood are improved.

BACKGROUND ART

The weight of a human body added because of walking upright and the force of gravity causes an impact pressure between the foot skeleton and the ground to be continuously applied to the spine, pelvis, and joints such as knees of a human body, and thus the human body may be damaged. The continuously-applied impact pressure causes joints to be imbalanced and twisted, which may cause an imbalance in the musculoskeletal system, and thus the musculoskeletal imbalance also has an influence on blood vessels. As a result, blood is prevented from flowing smoothly, and thus diseases can be caused.

However, conventional health care and medical technology focus on treatment for only diseases caused by a musculosketetal imbalance and abnormal blood flow instead of environments causing the musculosketetal imbalance and abnormal blood flow.

DISCLOSURE Description of Drawings

<Description of the Reference Numerals in the Drawings>

 1: cushioning sheet 100: base 110: first through holes 200: cushioning member 210: first impact-absorbing member 220: second impact-absorbing member 300: fixing portion 400: sensing unit 500: storage unit

BEST MODE

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to easily practice them. The present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Elements unrelated to the following description are omitted so that a clear description of the present invention is provided, and like reference characters designate like or corresponding elements throughout the views.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cushioning sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention in a schematic view, and a cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention in FIG. 1 includes a base 100 with a plurality of first through holes, a plurality of cushioning members 200, and a sensing unit 400 (refer to FIG. 8). The cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base 100 has a plurality of first through holes 110 formed thereon. Accordingly, outside air flows into the cushioning sheet 1 through a plurality of the first through holes 110, and the cushioning sheet 1 is filled with air when pressure is not applied to the cushioning sheet 1 from the outside.

The cushioning member 200 supports the base 100, and includes a first cushioning space 211 that is used to relieve pressure applied from the outside and a second through hole 212 that is formed between the first cushioning space 211 and the outside. Accordingly, the second through hole 211 allows outside air to pass through the base 100. As a result, outside air flows into the first cushioning space 211 through the second through hole 212, and the first cushioning space 211 is filled with air when pressure is not applied to the cushioning sheet 1 from the outside. The cushioning members 200 may be provided to the base 100 in multiple numbers.

The cushioning member 200 includes a first impact-absorbing member 217 which has the first cushioning space 211 formed thereby and a first post 219. The first impact-absorbing member 217 includes a first pressurized portion 213 which receives pressure applied from the outside and a first elastically-deformed portion 215 which is elastically deformed in response to the pressure applied from the outside. When applied from the outside, pressure is delivered to the first pressurized portion 113, and then the first elastically-deformed portion 215 is deformed by the delivered pressure, while when the pressure is removed, the first elastically-deformed portion 215 returns to the state prior to the deformation.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cushioning member 200 further includes a second impact-absorbing member 220 which is connected to the first post 219 and has a second cushioning space 221 formed thereby. The second impact-absorbing member 220 includes a second pressurized portion 223 which receives pressure applied from the outside and a second elastically-deformed portion 225 which is elastically deformed in response to the pressure applied from the outside. The second impact-absorbing member 220 may further include a second post 229 which is directly connected to the first post 219 or connects the first post 219 with the second impact-absorbing member 220 in form and size corresponding to the first post. In addition, the second impact-absorbing member 220 may further have a second base 227 which is similar to the base 100 in size and form formed in the lower portion thereof, wherein the second impact-absorbing member 220 and the second base 227 may be integrally formed, and FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a case in which the second impact-absorbing member and the second base are integrally formed.

An exemplary operation of the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a case in which the cushioning member 200 further includes the second impact-absorbing member 220, and as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 a illustrates a state of the cushioning sheet 1 when pressure is not applied from the outside in a cross-sectional view. As described above, the cushioning sheet 1 is filled with air flowed via the first through holes 110 formed on the base 100, and the first cushioning space 211 of the cushioning member 200 is filled with air flowed via the second through hole 212. FIG. 3 b illustrates a state of the cushioning sheet 1 when pressure is applied from the outside in a cross-sectional view, and as shown in FIG. 3 b, when pressure is applied to the top of the base 100 of the cushioning sheet 1, the pressure is delivered to the first and second pressurized portions 213 and 223, and then the first and second elastically-deformed portions 215 and 225 are deformed because of the first and second posts 219 and 229, respectively. The pressure applied to the outside causes the base 100 to move close toward the first post 219, and this causes the first elastically-deformed portion 215 to be deformed, and thus the air filling the first cushioning space 211 flows to the outside through the second through hole 212 and the air filling the cushioning sheet 1 also flows to the outside through the first through holes 110. The same phenomenon occurs in the second impact-absorbing member 220, and although the second impact-absorbing member 220 has no through holes connected to the outside, the second elastically-deformed portion 225 is deformed until the second post 229 reaches the bottom of the second impact-absorbing member 220.

When the pressure is removed from the cushioning sheet 1, the first and second elastically-deformed portions 215 and 225 elastically return to the state prior to the deformation, respectively, and this allows air to flow through the first and second through holes 110 and 212, and thus the cushioning member returns to the original state in FIG. 3 a.

FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate various embodiments of the cushioning sheet 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, a cushioning sheet 1 according another embodiment of the present invention includes a base 100 with a plurality of first through holes 110, and a plurality of cushioning members 200 and a sensing unit 400 (refer to FIG. 8), and further includes a fixing portion 300 which allows the cushioning sheet 1 to be fixed to a predetermined surface in contrast to the above-mentioned one embodiment. Here, the repeated descriptions of the same components are omitted.

The fixing portion 300 may be a general vacuum-type fixing component, and the fixing portion 300 is connected to the bottom of the first post 219 of the cushioning member 200 to fix the cushioning sheet to a predetermined surface using vacuum. The another embodiment is applicable to the case in which edges of the base 100 come into contact with the ground or the surface of an object on which the cushioning sheet 1 is located, and thus the inside of the cushioning sheet 1 becomes a sealed space.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate examples of cushioning sheets 1 with various types of cushioning members 200 according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Here, the repeated descriptions of the same components are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cushioning sheet 1 according to the further embodiment includes various types of cushioning members 200 b in contrast to the above-mentioned another embodiment, wherein the cushioning members 200 b may be at least one of the followings: a cushioning member 200 b-1 which has the first post and the first impact-absorbing member forming the first cushioning space; another cushioning member 200 b-2 which has the first post, the first impact-absorbing member forming the first cushioning space, and the second impact-absorbing member; and a further cushioning member 200 b-3 which has a plurality of the first posts and the first impact-absorbing member forming the first cushioning space.

Referring to FIG. 6, cushioning members 200 c used for the cushioning sheet 1 according to the further embodiment may be at least one of the followings: cushioning members 200 c-1 and 200 c-3 which have the first posts and the first impact-absorbing members forming the first cushioning spaces different in size from each other, respectively; and a cushioning member 200 c-2 which has the first post, the first impact-absorbing member forming the first cushioning space, and the second impact-absorbing member.

FIG. 7 illustrates examples of cases in which the cushioning members 200 d and 200 e of the cushioning sheet 1 are provided in different forms, and referring to FIG. 7 a, the first and second impact-absorbing members are formed in an oval shape. Referring to FIG. 7 b, the first and second impact-absorbing members are formed in a triangular shape. This embodiment shows that the impact-absorbing member configuring the cushioning member may be formed in different shapes, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned shapes. Accordingly, the impact-absorbing member may be formed in at least one of spherical, oval, triangular, quadrangular, polygonal shapes.

FIG. 8 illustrates a sensing unit 400 included in the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention.

The sensing unit 400 may be at least one of the following sensors: a temperature sensor which senses the temperature applied to the cushioning sheet 1; a pressure sensor which senses the pressure applied to the cushioning sheet 1; and a fiber optic sensor which senses at least one of the temperature and the pressure applied to the cushioning sheet.

The sensing unit 400 may be provided to the base 100 of the cushioning sheet 1 or the inside of the cushioning sheet 1, wherein, when provided to the base 100, the sensing unit 400 may be inserted into portions where the first through holes 110 are not formed while the base 100 is formed. Accordingly, when a user stands on the cushioning sheet 1, the temperature sensor senses the temperatures of parts of his or her left and right foot soles and the pressure sensor senses the pressures or the left, right, front, and rear parts of his or her feet. Results of the temperature and/or pressure sensors are transmitted to a storage unit 500 or a communication unit (not shown) to be described later, wherein the results are transmitted in the following manners: the sensing unit, the storage unit, or the communication unit is electrically connected to each other in a wired manner so that the results are transmitted; and a photo coupler is used, that is, the sensing unit transmits the results in the form of an optical signal, and than an optical sensor (not shown) included in the storage unit 500 or the communication unit (not shown) senses the optical signal, and thus the results are transmitted to the storage unit 500 or the communication unit (not shown). When the optical sensor is used, the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention may further include a cover for blocking light.

A fiber optic sensor is the one that made out of an optical fiber which is a thin fiber having a diameter of 0.1 mm and formed to have a high refractive index of light inside but a low refractive index outside so that total reflection occurs therein, and senses the intensity of the light passing through the optical fiber as well as the refractive index, length, mode, and changes in polarization state of the optical fiber in order to measure temperature and pressure when the optical fiber is stretched due to the temperature and pressure. The optical fiber is wrapped with a synthetic resin sheath one time or two times to be protected from an external impact. In a case in which the fiber optic sensor is used for the sensing unit 400, optical fibers 420 for transmitting an optical signal, light sources 410 a and 410 b for emitting the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber, and an optical signal processor (not shown) for measuring and processing changes in wavelength of the optical signal reflected against the surface of the optical fiber are provided to the inside of the cushioning sheet 1. The optical fibers 420 may be provided to the base 100, specifically to portions where the first through holes 110 formed on the base 100 are not formed, and the light sources may be provided in multiple numbers to correspond to the arrangement of the optical fibers.

In addition, the cushioning sheet 1 may further include a storage unit 500 for storing the results from the sensing unit 400. The results from the sensing unit 400 may be stored in the storage unit 500 in seconds, minutes, hours, days, and so on according to a predetermined setting. The storage unit 500 may be configured with a memory that is attachable to/detachable from the cushioning sheet 1 and replaceable as well. Accordingly, the storage unit 500 may be provided in the form of a memory module that is attachable to/detachable from the cushioning sheet 1 and/or replaceable.

Furthermore, the cushioning sheet 1 may further include a communication unit (not shown) for transmitting the results obtained from the sensing unit 400 to an external device. The communication unit (not shown) transmits the results obtained from the sensing unit 400 to an external device according to a predetermined setting in every second, minute, hour, day, and so on. Although the communication unit may be configured with a module that performs short distance communication, such as Bluetooth or another module that performs wired or wireless communication, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The results from the sensing unit 500, which are stored in the storage unit 500 or transmitted to on external device by the communication unit (not shown), include temperature and/or pressure information on parts of the left and right foot soles of a user standing on the cushioning sheet 1, wherein these results are basic information on body balance and blood flow of the user and may be used as basic data for choosing medical institutions or medical instruments.

In addition, the above-mentioned cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention may be generally made out of a silicon material. According to the another embodiment, the cushioning sheet 1 may be made out of the silicon material to which at least one of a heating material, an anion generating material, and a far-infrared-ray generating material is added. The heating material may be a generally-known one that generates heat as well as another generally-known one than has high heat conductivity. Accordingly, the cushioning sheet 1 may be used in cold environments. The cushioning sheet 1 made out of the heating material may not include a sensor for sensing body temperature of the user. The anion generating material and/or far-infrared-ray generating material may be one containing elvan, germanium, sericite, yellow ocher, a mixture of elvan and amphibole, hardwood charcoal, jade, ceramic, and so on. It is known that anions have advantages that relieve stress and fatigue, reduce headaches, make blood clean, and increase an appetite, and far-infrared-rays have advantages that increase body temperature under the skin and expand blood vessels so as to improve blood flow. Accordingly, when the anion and/or far-infrared-ray generating materials are used, advantages of the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention may be obtained and a synergy effect may be created as well.

The effects of improving body balance and blood flow of the cushioning sheet 1 according to the present invention are described with reference to FIGS. 9 a to 10 b.

FIGS. 9 a to 9 c illustrate the relation between the spine and feet, and specifically, FIG. 9 a illustrates pressures that are applied to feet when the spine is balanced and twisted, wherein, as shown in FIG. 9 a, when body balance of a user leans to the left, the spine may be twisted. This is the body imbalance caused by habits of the user in his or her daily life.

Considering characteristics of humans walking upright, the weight of a human body and the force of gravity are delivered to the ground through the head, the cervical spine, the spine, the pelvis, legs, and feet in sequence, and specifically the weight of a human body and the force of gravity reach the ground after passing through 26 bones of the each foot. However, pressures applied to the feet of people are greatly different from each other because people have habits different from each other and the weights of people are also different from each other, and the form of foot skeleton is gradually changed due to the pressures, and thus body imbalance may be caused.

When a weight of 5 to 10 kg is applied from the top in a downward direction in a state in which one hand is stacked on the other hand and the body bends forward about 15 degrees, the ground fails to absorb the applied weight and rebound resilience is delivered to the feet, and thus people may fall forward. In addition, when a weight same as above is applied from the top in a downward direction in a state in which both of the hands are laced behind the body with setting the palms turned upward, the ground fails to absorb the applied weight and rebound resilience is delivered to the spine and the pelvis through the feet. This rebound resilience is associated with a walking habit, so as to have a bad influence on body balance.

FIG. 9 b illustrates the relation between the spine and a foot, and FIG. 9 c illustrates a foot-reflex-zones table of the relation between the organs and feet. As shown in FIGS. 9 b and 9 c, feet are associated with the human spine and organs, and thus impact pressure applied to feet eventually has influence on the human spine and organs. The human body has about 5.1 billion capillaries, and feet have 60 percent of the capillaries, that is, 3 billion capillaries. Feet have autonomic nerves in addition to the capillaries, thereby being called “the second heart”. Each of the feet has the muscular system around 26 bones, thereby having the greatest influence on blood flow of the human body, and the muscular system of the each foot stimulates the action of the capillaries according to pressure applied when each part of the foot comes into contact with the ground, and thus the amount of blood flow is increased. However, in a case in which the human body is imbalanced, pressure is unevenly applied to she feet, and this may have a bad influence on the blood flow of the capillaries.

Hereinafter, body balance and blood flow improved by the cushioning sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention are described with reference to FIGS. 10 a and 10 b. In order to check the relation between pressure applied to feet and blood flow, a control group in which people make a step on the ground is set up, and then blood flow and pressure applied to feet after people make a step on the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention for 10 minutes are measured using a general device for measuring pressure and blood flow. The pressure applied to feet is shown in percent and the blood flow is shown in different colors after temperature is measured. The body balance is considered an even state in a case in which pressures of the left (L), right (R), front (T), and rear (B) parts of feet have pressure values of 50%, respectively, and the body balance is considered the best state in a case in which other pressures of the left front (LT), right front (RT), left rear (LB), and right rear (RB) parts of feet have pressure values of 25%, respectively.

In a case in which people make a step on the ground, pressure is applied to toes and the heel (refer to (a) of FIG. 10 a). After the pressure applied to the toes is measured, the result is obtained as follows: the front of the left foot (toes) has a pressure value of 21.0%; the rear of the left foot (heel) has a pressure value of 16.0%; the front of the right foot has a pressure value of 17.8%; and the rear of the right foot has a pressure value of 46%, and consequently, pressure applied to the left foot is generally higher than that applied to the right foot. On the basis of the result, when people in the control group walk, greater force is applied to the right foot in comparison with the left foot because of their usual habits, and it is possible to speculate that the spine may be twisted to the right side because impact pressure is continuously delivered to the right foot instead of the left foot (refer to (b) of FIG. 10 a).

In addition, referring to (b) of FIG. 10 a, temperatures of the left and right feet are measured. In the measurement result, most parts of the feet are displayed in blue except the rear of the right foot, and thus blood does not flow smoothly in both of the feet.

People in an experimental group stand on the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention for at least 10 minutes, and then pressure applied to the left and right feet is measured (refer to (a) of FIG. 10 b). As a result, the front of the left has a pressure value of 30.6%, the rear of the left foot has a pressure value of 17.7%, the front of the right foot has a pressure value of 28.9%, and the rear of the right foot has a pressure value of 22.8%, and thus the left foot has a pressure value of 48.3% in total and the right foot has a pressure value of 51.7% in total, that is, pressure is evenly applied to the left and right feet (refer to (b) of FIG. 10 b). The rear of the right foot has a high pressure value of 47.2% before the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is used as shown in (b) of FIG. 10 a, while the rear of the right foot has a remarkably-reduced pressure value of 22.8% after the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is used. This is because the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention reacts to the pressure applied to the front and rear of the left and right feet to allow the cushioning member 200 of the cushioning sheet 1 to provide different degrees of a cushioning force, that is, the cushioning member 200 reacting to the one foot to which greater pressure is applied is pressed deeper than another cushioning member 200 reacting to the other foot to which less pressure is applied. The cushioning member 200 absorbs a certain amount of the pressure to be applied to the foot, and thus this prevents rebound resilience caused by the weight of a human body and the force of gravity from being directly applied to feet. Accordingly, using the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention allows the cushioning sheet 1 to absorb pressure caused by the weight of a human body and the force of gravity while people walk upright, and thus this prevents the human body from being directly affected by the pressure. Accordingly, the spine skeletal system and the joints are prevented from being affected by the pressure, and consequently, pains caused by disease of the spine skeletal system and the joints are remarkably reduced.

Changes in muscles are made in about 10 minutes after the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is used, and also changes in the foot skeleton begin to be made when the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is used for 3 to 60 days, and thus the user's body becomes balanced. In addition, when the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is continuously used, improvement in body balance allows the twisted spine to be straightly manipulated.

Furthermore, referring to (b) of FIG. 10 b, temperatures of the left and right feet are provided. Here, both of the feet are displayed in yellow instead of blue as shown in (b) of FIG. 10 a, and this is because blood smoothly flows after the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is used. That is, the cushioning member 200 in the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention allows the effect of acupressure to be applied to feet when the user walks on the cushioning sheet 1, and thus blood flow is smoothly performed. Accordingly, the smoothly-performed blood flow allows wastes in the blood to be easily discharged, and this has a positive influence on the user's body.

FIGS. 11 a to 11 d illustrate examples to which the cushioning sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied.

The cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is variable in size and form according to the object to which the sheet is applied.

FIG. 11 a illustrates an example of an indoor mat 1 a to which the cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is applied. The cushioning sheet 1 of the present invention is used for any places where the weight of a user's body and the force of gravity are delivered to the user, thereby being provided in different forms, such as the indoor mat of FIG. 11 a, a mattress spread on a bed, and a sitting mat on a chair.

FIG. 11 b illustrates an example of an exercise machine to which the cushioning sheet of the present invention is applied, and although the cushioning sheet of the present invention is applicable to a rolling belt 1 b of a treadmill 2, the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 11 c illustrates an example of women's shoes to which the cushioning sheet of the present invention is applied. According to the example of women's shoes, a cushioning sheet 1 c is cut in a shape corresponding to the front of a main body 3 a, and then the cut cushioning sheet is applied to the main body of women's shoes 3, and after that, an insole 3 b is put on the cut cushioning sheet. Accordingly, when a user walks while wearing the shoes to which the cushioning sheet 1 c is applied, body balance and blood flow are improved. In addition to the women's shoes, the cushioning sheet according to the present invention may be applied to any types of shoes such as men's shoes, outdoor shoes (for example, hiking boots), military boots, safety shoes, slippers, bathroom shoes, and so on in an appropriate size and form.

FIG. 11 d illustrates an example of a case in which the cushioning sheet of the present invention is used as a sole 4, and the sole accommodates a user's foot. When the sole is manufactured, a cushioning sheet 1 d of the present invention is applied to the sole corresponding to the front and rear of the foot that receive the greatest pressure. As a result, when the user walk while wearing the running shoes to which the cushioning sheet is applied, body balance and blood flow of the user are improved.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that, although some embodiments of the present invention are described, modifications of the embodiments are made without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. Cushioning sheet, comprising: a base which has a plurality of First through holes formed therein; a plurality of cushioning members which support the base, have a first cushioning space for relieving pressure applied from the outside formed thereby, and further have a second through hole formed between the first cushioning space and the outside; and a sensing unit which senses at least one of temperature and pressure applied to a plurality of the cushioning members.
 2. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of the cushioning members comprise a first impact-absorbing member which has the first cushioning space formed thereby and a first post.
 3. Cushioning sheet according to claim 2, characterized in that the first impact-absorbing member comprises a first pressurized portion which receives pressure applied from the outside and a first elastically-deformed portion which is elastically deformed in response to the pressure applied from the outside.
 4. Cushioning sheet according to claim 3, characterized in that any one of a plurality of the cushioning member comprises a second impact-absorbing member which is connected to the first post to have a second cushioning space formed thereby.
 5. Cushioning sheet according to claim 4, characterized in that the second impact-absorbing member comprises a second pressurized portion which receives pressure applied from the outside and a second elastically-deformed portion which is elastically deformed in response to the pressure applied from the outside.
 6. Cushioning sheet according to claim 3, characterized in that the cushioning sheet further comprises a fixing portion which is connected to the first post and allows the cushioning sheet to be fixed to a predetermined surface.
 7. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the base and a plurality of the cushioning members are integrally formed.
 8. Cushioning sheet according to claim 7, characterized in that the first and second impact-absorbing members are formed in at least one of spherical, oval, triangular, quadrangular, polygonal shapes.
 9. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensing unit may be one of the following sensors: a temperature sensor which senses temperature applied to the cushioning sheet; a pressure sensor which senses pressure applied to the cushioning sheet; and a fiber optic sensor which senses at least one of temperature and pressure applied to the cushioning sheet.
 10. Cushioning sheet according to claim 9, characterized in that the cushioning sheet further comprises a storage unit for storing results obtained from the sensing unit.
 11. Cushioning sheet according to claim 9, characterized in that the cushioning sheet further comprises a communication unit for transmitting the results obtained from the sensing unit to an external device.
 12. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the cushioning sheet is made out of at least one of a heating material, an anion generating material, and a far-infrared-ray generating material.
 13. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the cushioning sheet is applied to a sole of shoes.
 14. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the cushioning sheet is applied to a mat for an exercise machine.
 15. Cushioning sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the cushioning sheet is applied to an indoor mat. 